Dreams Come True
by MsRaven
Summary: COMPLETE - Part of my Conversations Universe. Weir-Sheppard. Edited to a PG-13 version.
1. A Special Morning

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 1**

**Summary: **Part of my Conversations Universe. Weir-Sheppard. PG-13 Version.

**Spoilers:** I think this series went AU after Childhood's End.

**Disclaimers:** Stargate Atlantis and its characters do not belong to me.

**Author's Note: **None. Anything I say will give it away. _Not sure if changing a few chapters will re-post, but I wanted to change the rating to PG-13 for more general reader access._

Elizabeth surfaces slowly from a deep sleep as morning sunlight filters through the curtains. She feels the warm weight of an arm around her waist and remembers that this morning is different from the others. She smiles and rolls over, careful not to disturb the arm wrapped around her. Her first glimpse of the man sleeping next to her makes her smile widen affectionately.

His black hair is sticking up in more directions than she can count. There's a full shadow of stubble across his cheek and chin, but she can still smell the last traces of his aftershave. Elizabeth likes to watch him sleep. Even with his eyes closed, missing that special glint, his features give off this allusion of mischief.

Elizabeth places a slender hand against his bare chest, causing him to smile in his sleep. The arm around her tightens and he pulls her closer. She is still amazed at how he reacts to her touch.

"John" Elizabeth says. "It's time to get up."

"Mmmmm," John mumbles. The hand at her back moves slowly down to her thigh and then her knee as he pulls her right leg over his left. "Have I told you how much I love your long legs?"

"Yes. Many times," Elizabeth responds throatily. She can't help her own reaction to his touch.

John's deft fingers are now tracing slow circles on her upper thigh, just at the hem of her pajama shorts. Buoyed by the sultry tone of her voice, he bends his knee, moving it between her legs and pulls her even closer to him. He still hasn't opened his eyes.

"John." Elizabeth says again, trying valiantly to remember why they shouldn't be doing this now. "It really is time to get up."

"That's what I'm trying to do. Can't you tell?" John pushes his hips lightly against hers and yes, she can feel what he's trying to do. A small giggle escapes her lips and his eyes finally open.

"Laughter isn't quite the reaction I was going for there."

Elizabeth places a hand against his cheek and kisses him to apologize for laughing. That's a mistake. The man is a damn good kisser and often uses it to his advantage. He uses it now and deepens the kiss.

John moves his hand underneath her pajama top. He runs a finger down her spine, knowing it will cause her to arch back and expose the sensitive spot at the base of her throat. He starts to trail soft kisses down her neck and she groans, her fingers burying into his hair. John breathes in the intoxicating smell of spiced vanilla that is all Elizabeth.

"John, we really don't have time for this." He smiles, because even as she's arguing, she's moving her head to the side to give him better access.

"There's always time for this."

John's kisses start to move down to her collarbone and lower, his intentions clear.

"We're not exactly alone," Elizabeth says as she arches toward him.

"They won't be up for hours."

There's suddenly a noise in the hallway. It's the sound of a door opening, followed by quick footsteps moving toward them.

"You were saying?" Elizabeth asks as she starts to disentangle herself from John. He groans and rolls over onto his stomach.

Elizabeth just has time to sit up and make sure that there's nothing exposed that shouldn't be, when someone walks into the room.

It's a little boy, about four years old with jet black hair and green eyes that are wide with excitement. He scrambles up the foot of the bed, his grin going from ear to ear.

"Mommy! Daddy! It's Christmas!"

_TBC..._


	2. And Twins!

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 2**

Elizabeth opens her arms and the little boy crawls into her enveloping hug. She brushes back his messy hair to kiss him on the forehead. He looks at her happily.

"Mommy! It's Christmas."

"I know that Michael." Elizabeth leans forward to whisper in his ear. "Why don't you remind Daddy?"

Michael lays down next to John with his nose only an inch away from father's cheek.

"Daddy! It's Christmas! There's gonna be presents under the tree and everything!"

John opens one eye to look at his son's beaming face before rolling over and pulling Michael over his chest. Michael scrambles into a sitting position on his gut, putting unwelcome pressure on his full bladder. He tries to shift the little boy, but he's too excited and starts to bounce up and down.

"Umph."

"Michael. Why don't you sit next to Daddy on the bed?"

Michael moves and John turns to Elizabeth with a smile.

"I thank you and my bladder thanks you."

"Not to mention my sheets," she responds before turning at a noise in the doorway.

Marcus, their youngest son by 2 minutes, is standing there still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He walks over to Elizabeth's side of the bed and lifts his arms. She obliges the silent request, picking him up and settling him on her lap. He gives her a wet kiss on the cheek before snuggling into her chest.

"Morning, Mommy."

"Good morning, Marcus."

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up. You have to wake up and give me my presents." Michael is now shaking his father's shoulder. John has pretended to go back to sleep and lets out an exaggerated snore.

Elizabeth looks down at Marcus. "Are you excited about this morning?"

"Uh-huh," Marcus says with a yawn. "Uncle Marc is coming."

Elizabeth gives Marcus another tight hug. He is their sensitive one. The boys are identical twins with their father's unruly black hair and her jade green eyes. John claims they have her smile, but the looks they give her when they want something they shouldn't have or have done something wrong, are all him.

The two boys looks identical, but their personalities could not be more different. Michael is brash and tends to jump into situations with both feet, often with his eyes closed to any possible danger. Marcus is more measured and thoughtful. Not that he doesn't get into his fair share of trouble, he is his father's son.

John is now half sitting up with his upper body resting on his elbows. Michael is still bouncing up and down excitedly on the other side of the bed. He looks over at Marcus.

"What? I don't get a good morning?"

Marcus smiles and leaps onto his father's chest to give him a hug.

"Good morning, Daddy."

Michael follows his brother's example and jumps on John's chest. The combined weight of the two boys collapses his arms and he falls back onto the bed with a grunt. He retaliates by reaching up and tickling the boys who start to flail and giggle on top of him. Elizabeth laughs along until she sees one of their knees come dangerously close to a sensitive are of John's anatomy.

"Okay. That's enough." She pulls them off John one by one and gives them a gentle shove off the bed. "You two go get cleaned up. I'll be there in a minute. If you're good, maybe I'll let you open one present before Uncle Marc gets here."

The two boys race out of the room and Elizabeth leans over John, who looks deliriously happy.

"You make the bed and shower. I'll get the boys dressed and start making breakfast."

"You say that like there's a question over who makes the bed."

Elizabeth smiles and leans down to give him a quick kiss, pulling away quickly before he can start back to where they left off earlier.

"But you love me anyway."

She starts to move away, but John grabs her hand to stop her. He reaches up with his other hand to brush his knuckles against her cheek.

"I do love you, Elizabeth Sheppard."

Elizabeth lays a hand lightly on his chest.

"And I love you, John. Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary."

_TBC..._


	3. The First Hint

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 3**

John walks out to the kitchen, dressed and freshly showered. The scene that greets him would give anyone warm fuzzies. The boys, dressed in their best clothes, are quietly sitting in front of the TV, watching the old 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' movie that Elizabeth has gotten them addicted to. Marcus is wearing a moss green sweater while Michael is in a blue collared shirt. Elizabeth refuses to dress them the same because she considers it cruel and unusual punishment.

His wife is standing in front of the stove with her back to him. Elizabeth has thrown a short robe over her pajamas and he has a wonderful view of her legs from about mid-thigh down to her bare feet. John walks over and wraps his arms around her waist, careful not to get too close to the hot stove. He nuzzles the back of her neck contentedly.

"You know, Legs, a guy could get used to this."

"What's that?" Elizabeth asks, scooping the finished eggs onto a plate.

"Walking in to the smell of breakfast cooking and his wife barefoot in the - ouch!" The spatula whips out to smack him on the arm, hard.

John takes a few steps back, rubbing his arm and laughing. His wife is advancing on him with spatula still in hand, a mock glare on her face.

"John Alan Sheppard, don't you start –"

John moves forward quickly. Before Elizabeth can defend herself, she finds her right arm pinned behind her by John's left hand. Her left arm is effective immobilized by his right arm wrapped around her middle. There's a wicked glint in his eyes as he dips his head to kiss her. The spatula clatters to the floor. John lets go of her hand and Elizabeth wraps it around his neck.

"Oh. It's just Mommy and Daddy kissing again."

John and Elizabeth look over at the twins without pulling apart.

"Is breakfast ready yet?" asks Michael.

"We're getting kinda hungry," comments Marcus.

"Yes, it's ready. Go sit at the table. Daddy will be out in a minute."

The boys leave and John buries his face in her neck.

"Why do we keep them around again?" he mumbles.

"Because they're our children and we adore them."

"Oh yeah, that."

John gives her a final kiss on the neck before they break apart.

"I'm going to take a shower and get dressed. Go feed your kids. And please don't give them candy canes this early in the morning."

"Who, me?"

"Yes you, you big softie." Elizabeth gives him a quick peck on the cheek as she walks out of the kitchen.

"Whatever you say, boss."

"Don't forget it either," she throws over her shoulder with a grin.

John grabs the scrambled eggs and toast. He puts the food down on the dining room table and the twins jump in like they haven't eaten in days. Twenty minutes later, the boys are back in front of the television and he's finishing up the breakfast dishes.

There's a knock at the front door and John looks at his watch in surprise. Marc is rarely on-time and never early when he comes to visit. His brother-in-law is not supposed to be here for another half hour. John is even more surprised when he opens the door to find Lt. Aiden Ford on his doorstep.

"Lieutenant. What are you doing here?"

The young man doesn't look too sure of that himself, so John waves him into the house.

"Doesn't matter. Come in. Have you eaten breakfast? You remember my kids?"

"Thanks, I ate earlier. Hey kids." The boys wave at Ford from in front of the TV and the lieutenant does a double take. "Should they really be eating candy this early in the morning?"

"Sure. I only gave them the small ones. It's fine...as long as they finish before their mother comes back out, right boys?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"No problem, Daddy."

Michael stuffs the rest of his candy cane in his mouth and John winces. Elizabeth walking out to find him performing the Heimlich maneuver on their son probably isn't the best way to start off Christmas morning. But Michael doesn't seem to be choking or turning blue, so he motions Ford over to the dining room table.

"Won't she notice the mint on their breaths?"

"Hadn't thought of that. Not that it matters. She's a mom. She probably knew from the moment I handed them the candy. It's scary, I tell you."

Ford sits at the table. The guy looks like he could use some caffeine.

"Coffee?"

"Sure, thanks."

John comes back with two cups of coffee. The young lieutenant still looks nervous.

"What can I help you with, Lieutenant?"

"You see Major – I mean Colonel – sorry."

"No problem. It's only been a few weeks since I got promoted to Lt. Colonel. Still not quite used to answering to the new title myself."

"Colonel," Ford starts again. "I'd like if you could answer some questions without asking me why I'm asking the questions."

"I think that's going to depend on the questions. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"That's okay, I guess," Ford doesn't quite know where to begin. "How did you and Mrs. Sheppard –"

"Dr. Sheppard," John corrects. He feels that her title is equally, if not more, important than his. There are times when he wonders how a woman as smart as Elizabeth ended up with a goofball like him. She still goes by Dr. Weir at work, but he considers that a good thing. It keeps drunk, love-struck air force cadets from showing up on his doorstep.

"How did you and Dr. Sheppard meet? How did you get here, today?"

"Don't you know most of this already?" John asks with a frown.

"You said you'd try."

"Right. Sorry." John's not sure where Ford is going with this, but starts at the beginning. "Elizabeth and I literally ran into each other at the Air Force Academy. I had just gotten a commendation for that whole Afghanistan fiasco and she was a guest lecturer. I wasn't looking where I was going and we ended up in a heap outside of her lecture hall."

John smiles, remembering that fateful day. He'd actually been ogling one of the students coming out of the lecture hall, which is why he'd backed into Elizabeth. He can still clearly recall how her legs had seemed impossibly long as they laid across his lap. Her skirt had hiked up just enough to show a peek of her garter belt. A garter belt she still has and they pull out on special occasions. It wasn't exactly love at first sight, especially for Elizabeth, but he's nothing if not persistent.

"Anyway, long story short, we were married about six months later on Christmas Day. The twins came embarrassingly close to being born exactly nine months after our honeymoon. Elizabeth got a full time position teaching at the Academy and I got transferred to Cheyenne Mountain. Today is our five year wedding anniversary."

"So we met...?"

"At Cheyenne Mountain where we both work."

"Yeah, that's what I remember too." Ford doesn't sound like he's sure about what he remembers.

"Look, Ford," John says calmly. "I know I said I'd try, but you're starting to sound like you got hit in the head recently. What gives?"

"I just woke up this morning with this feeling that things aren't quite right."

"Anything in particular?"

"Not really. Just everything feels a little wrong."

"I'll tell you what's wrong."

"What?" Ford asks, looking at Sheppard expectantly.

"It's Christmas morning and you're sitting here in my dining room instead of cuddling up to your new wife."

"Oh."

"Oh, is right." John leans back in his chair with a patient smile. "This is just post-wedding gitters. It happens all the time. You'll get over it."

"You think that's it?"

"Definitely."

"Did you get these gitters?"

"Well...no. But that's because I knew what I wanted from the start. It just took six months to convince her."

"Convince who of what?" asks Elizabeth as she walks in from the hallway. "Aiden! What brings you here on Christmas morning?"

Lt. Ford stands and Elizabeth gives him a warm hug before pushing him back down on the chair.

"Sit. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just get myself a cup of coffee."

Elizabeth comes back with her own cup of coffee and sits on her husband's lap. John's arms automatically go around her waist. Ford once again has this feeling that, while this seems perfectly normal, it also doesn't seem quite right.

"Are you guys talking about work? I could go into the other room until Marc gets here."

"Nah. We were just talking about post-wedding gitters."

"The colonel says he didn't have any," says Ford. "Is that true?"

"That sounds about right. I don't remember him showing any gitters." Elizabeth grins. "That is until I told him I was pregnant."

John plops his head down on Elizabeth's shoulder with a groan.

"He didn't talk for a full ten minutes. Just sat there with his mouth open staring at me."

Ford starts to laugh and John lifts his head.

"You should have seen me when the doctor told us it was twins!"

All three start to laugh as the boys in question run into the kitchen.

"Mommy!" they say in unison. "Can we..."

Elizabeth stands with her hands in front of her, stopping the boys in their tracks.

"Whatever it is, no. At least not until you wash those sticky fingers. I don't want candy cane fingerprints all over the place."

John mouths "See? Scary." behind her back. Ford tries not laugh.

"I saw that," Elizabeth says as the boys run off to the bathroom.

Ford stands. "I better get going."

John stands to walk him out. Ford goes part way down the front walk, then turns around. John and Elizabeth Sheppard are standing at the front door with their arms around each other. They look comfortable and happy. Ford starts to think that the Colonel was right, it's just post wedding gitters. They just look too right together for this to be wrong.

"Thanks for the talk, Colonel."

"No problem," John responds with a smile. It was definitely a strange conversation, but at least Ford doesn't look so nervous now. "Any time. And bring that wife of yours by sometime for dinner."

"I will. Goodbye Colonel, Dr. Sheppard."

"Merry Christmas, Aiden," says Elizabeth. "And give our best to Teyla."

"I will. Merry Christmas."

The lieutenant walks down to his car and back to his own home, his own wife. The Sheppards go back into their house with John rubbing Elizabeth's bare arms against the chill of a snowy Christmas morning.

_TBC..._

* * *

_I'm still not giving any hints as to where I'm going with this, but there's a twisted side of me that's enjoying the confusion I've garnered._

_Kudos to anyone who can pick out all the little things that connect this story with the rest of my Conversations Series._


	4. Presents

**Author's Note: **I'm changing the Spoiler alert to include "Home". Doesn't really change much in the storyline because I had the beginnings of this written before I saw that episode. I know, it's a major hint and I said I wasn't giving any. Sorry. But I want to use a minor portion from that episode later in the story and I don't want people who haven't seen it to get "spoiled". So...you've been aptly warned.

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 4**

The doorbell rings, making John and Elizabeth look at each other.

"I win."

"How can you win? It's past 15 minutes since he was supposed to arrive."

"But it's under 30 minutes, so I still win." With that last statement, Elizabeth sticks her tongue out at her husband and goes to the door. The twins are laying on the floor in font of the Christmas tree, drawing pictures with the art sets they got as presents from her teaching assistant.

She opens the front door and is immediately struck by how much her brother looks like her father. Marc is tall with wide shoulders and dirty blonde hair. He's managed to maintain his muscular build from his days in the Seals, but isn't bulky. He walks into the house and envelops her in a bear hug.

"Lizzie!"

"Marc. It's so good to see you," says Elizabeth as she hugs him back.

"Uncle Marc! Uncle Marc!"

The boys come running up and Marc scoops them up onto each arm. He pretends to stagger back at their weight. Elizabeth is concerned until she sees the huge smile on her brother's face. Marc had hurt his back 3 years ago and got pulled out of the field. He now has a desk job with the CIA in Washington that lets him visit his sister and her family periodically.

"Umph." Marc makes an exaggerated motion of putting the boys down. "You guys are almost getting too big to carry."

"Soon, we'll be as big as you, Uncle Marc," says Marcus.

"Uh-huh," agrees Michael.

"Why don't you two start separating the gifts while your mom and I get your Uncle Marc some coffee?" John tells the twins as he comes up behind them.

Marc gives them the bags he has in his hands and the boys go scurrying back into the living room.

"Carefully!" Elizabeth yells after them. "Some of the presents may be breakable."

"Marc," John and Marc shake hands jovially. "Welcome to our crazy house."

"Thanks for having me. And don't worry, I'm used to crazy."

Elizabeth is glad to see that the two men are getting along. When Marc had first tracked her down after recovering from his back injury, he was not happy to find her married to an "idiot flyboy." Meeting his nephews for the first time had started to soften him up and, over the years, he could see how happy John made his little sister – even if he was a pilot.

"Let's get you that cup of coffee. I'll take your bag into the guest room."

The three start to walk further into the house when there's a small crash heard from the living room. John and Elizabeth turn to each other, not at all surprised. John puts Marc's suitcase down and moves toward the living room.

"I'll get this one."

"Just make sure they don't cut themselves on anything," Elizabeth advises before leading Marc into the kitchen.

John walks into the living room to find Michael on his knees in front of the Christmas tree with Marcus looking over his shoulder. They both look up guiltily when they hear him coming.

"We didn't mean to," starts Michael.

"We were being real careful with the presents, like mom said, when Mic - uh, we – bumped the tree," Marcus finishes.

John has to bite his lip to keep from smiling. It's nice to see that his sons have each other's back.

"Well don't touch it," he warns. "Go ask your mom for the dust pan."

The boys run off and John kneels down to assess the damage. The broken ornament is, or was, a snowflake. It's kind of a funny looking snowflake with the large center surrounded by six spokes, each shaped a little differently. He has a feeling that this is important somehow, but doesn't remember buying or receiving it as a present. Four of the spokes have broken off in the fall from the tree. John holds up what's left of it as Elizabeth walks over with a dust pan.

"Do you want me to try and fix it?"

"Don't worry about it. I really don't need to be digging glass out of your fingers later," she responds with a grin.

"Ha. Ha. Funny."

John sweeps up the remains of the ornament, which luckily broke in fairly large pieces, and throws it away in the kitchen.

An hour and a half later, it looks like a box of wrapping paper exploded in their living room. The boys are outside trying out their new, waterproof winter outfits by having a snowball fight with their uncle. John is lounging on the couch with one her gifts to him, a copy of Tolstoy's "War and Peace".

Elizabeth is trying to make a dent in the mess by picking up the wrapping paper when she stumbles across one of the drawings the kids did earlier. It's a picture of two concentric circles. The area between the circles is colored a brownish gold, with little blue dots and large triangles scattered around. The center of the smaller circle is a blue-green, with small ripples drawn in like water.

"What are you looking at?" asks John from the couch.

Elizabeth flips it around to show him.

"They're probably just hinting at wanting a pool."

"In Colorado?"

"So a heated pool. Either way, they're not gonna get it." He pats the space next to him on the couch and puts down his book. "Stop trying to clean up and come over here."

Elizabeth sits next to John as he pulls an envelope out from between the cushions.

"Ooh," she says. "Is it time to exchange our anniversary presents?"

"I was thinking that, yeah."

"Hang on a sec."

Elizabeth gets up and pulls an envelope out of her purse. John lifts him arm against the back of the couch and she snuggles up next to him. He hands her his envelope.

"Open mine first."

Elizabeth opens the envelope to find a brochure for the Broadmoor, a five star resort hotel on Cheyenne Lake. She turns to John quizzically.

"Marc agreed to take care of the kids tonight. We have reservations and I was thinking we could leave after lunch."

"Oh John!" Elizabeth gives him a kiss. "This is wonderful."

"They're having a special Christmas dinner at Stratta's, so you'll need to bring a formal gown. Plus I have massages scheduled before dinner."

"I can't believe you did all this."

John wraps his arms around his wife. She's still flipping through the brochure.

"We always said we'd do it when the kids were older. Well, the kids are older and I figured you needed something extra special for our five year anniversary."

"I love you," she says, kissing him again. This time, he tries to deepen the kiss, but she pulls back. "Save that for later. Open this."

John keeps his arms around Elizabeth as he opens the envelope. There's a piece of paper inside and two black & white pictures come falling out when he unfolds it. He picks the pictures up from his lap to look at them. Elizabeth watches as his eyes widen and his jaw goes slack. The pictures are grainy and it's impossible to distinguish any one thing from another. But what they are, what they mean, is unquestionable.

"Is this?"

"Yes. I asked them to take the ultrasound so I could surprise you."

"How long?"

"If they're right, I'm almost at the end of my second month."

John turns and cups Elizabeth's face in both of his hands. He brushes tears of joy from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"So we're?" he asks with a smile slowly spreading from ear to ear.

"We're having a baby."

John gives Elizabeth a lingering kiss and then leans back on the couch with her head resting on his chest. He holds the pictures up to get another look.

"We're having a baby," he says wistfully.

Suddenly, John sits up and looks at Elizabeth with a wild look in his eye.

"Just one, right?"

_TBC..._


	5. Sniffles in Bed

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 5**

Lt. Colonel and Dr. Sheppard walk into their hotel room, John already shrugging out of his jacket.

"You know, that's the second time in a month I've had to wear my dress blues," says John, draping his jacket over the back of a chair.

Elizabeth goes over to the dresser and starts taking the pins out of her hair.

"You make it sound as if you don't like the reaction you get when you wear your dress blues," she comments with her back to him. "Our waitress tonight was practically drooling, along with all the other women in the room."

John walks up behind his wife and meets her eyes in the mirror. Elizabeth takes the last of the pins out and drops her arms.

"There's only one woman's reaction I'm hoping for tonight."

He runs his hands softly up her arms, to her bare shoulders, and down her back. He slowly lowers the zipper on the back of her deep blue gown and watches as it pools at her feet. John grins when he sees the familiar garter belt.

"So that's why you got dressed in the bathroom tonight."

Elizabeth turns to give him a sexy smile.

"Well, we need some surprises after five years."

In a flash, John swoops down and picks Elizabeth up in his arms. She lets out a little squeal of surprise. He lays her on the bed, then removes his tie, before stretching out next to her. He starts to kiss her senseless and she finds it hard to concentrate on unbuttoning his shirt. Elizabeth frees him of his shirt and John pulls back to take it off completely.

As he looks down at his beautiful wife, a sudden urge overcomes him and he can't help but place a tender kiss on her still flat tummy. John places his cheek against where he knows the new baby is growing, still a little stunned at the good news. Elizabeth had a miscarriage about a year after the boys were born. They haven't been doing anything to prevent another pregnancy since, but after 3 years, he had thought there was no chance for third child.

Finding out about the twins had been a mind-numbingly frightening experience. They had talked about having kids before the wedding, but neither of them had expected parenthood to come so soon. The fear was tempered by the amazement of watching Elizabeth's body grow and change. Knowing she was carrying his children had only made him love her more. That love expanded over the months of pregnancy and threatened to overwhelm him when the boys were born.

John had walked into parenthood the first time with fear and a desire to be the best father in the world. This time, he's a little more aware of what being a good parent really means. There's still a little fear, but all he wants now is to hold the new baby in his arms and share the love already building inside him.

There's a sniffle above him and John looks up to see that Elizabeth has tears in her eyes. He smiles, remembering how sappy she got during her first pregnancy. Those old long distance commercials used to have her bawling. The sudden tears are definitely a mood killer, but he can't blame her, he knows he started it.

John move back up the bed, level with Elizabeth, and gathers her into his arms.

"I'm ::sniff:: sorry ::sniff:: . But you ::sniff:: looked ::sniff:: so happy."

"That's because I am happy." John pushes some hair away from her face. "This is going to sound silly, but I just know the baby is going to be a girl. She's going to have your hair, your eyes, and your smile. She's going to be beautiful and spirited and I...well I'm going to need to get really good with a shotgun."

Elizabeth laughs and John pulls away to look at her.

"I'm serious. I don't know how your dad did it, but I'm going to make it perfectly clear to all of her boyfriends that I have ready access to several weapons."

"John, all we know right now is that we're not having twins again."

"Which is good only because it would be difficult to have both of them followed when and if I ever let them date."

Elizabeth laughs again. "You'll be a wonderful father to the baby, whether it's a boy or a girl. And I really hope you're kidding about the shotgun."

John shrugs. "I'm not making any promises."

"Then I hope our daughter is blessed with angelic patience."

Elizabeth leans over to kiss him once and then again. Two kisses later and he feels her hands unbuckling his belt. Oh yeah, he remembers this side effect of her pregnancy too.

_TBC..._

* * *

_Some minor notes:_

_The Broadmoor is a real hotel in Colorado Springs, I looked it up and it looks gorgeous!_

_From what I can tell from pictures online (Gateworld), both Joe Flanigan and Torri Higginson have green eyes. _

_I don't have kids, let alone twins, but from what I could find online, they split very early. I'm just making the assumption that a doctor's office would be able to tell in an early ultrasound. _

_I seriously thought about making it triplets (which is very common in multiple birth families), but decided against it at the last minute._


	6. Fainting Spells

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 6**

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard is standing in the Cheyenne Mountain infirmary staring down at an unconscious Canadian scientist. He still can't believe they managed to track him down at the Broadmoor this morning – at 4am no less. It's a good thing that Elizabeth sleeps like the dead after..._yeah, probably not good to think about that now._

"Just a quick hop into Canada and back," his CO had said. "You'll be back in time for brunch."

John looks at his watch. _Crap._ It's almost one o'clock and Elizabeth is probably fuming by now. All she woke up to this morning was a hastily scribbled note of apology and a promise he'd be back in time to have lunch with her. Now it's almost past lunch time and he's still here babysitting the damn scientist.

The guy had upped and fainted 5 minutes into the flight. He hadn't even done any barrel rolls like he usually does to freak out new fliers. This scientist must be pretty important to require flying him in on an F-15. John should probably let an airman take over, but he did feel some responsibility to make sure the idiot was okay after fainting in his plane. Elizabeth would understand, right? _Damn. He is so sleeping on the couch tonight._

"Ohhh," comes a groan from the bed. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You're in Cheyenne Mountain," explains John. "I picked you up this morning in my F-15, you fainted, and got dragged in here."

"Do you have to say faint? Can't you call it –"

"Yeah, yeah. You'd rather I say you passed out. Whatever. Now that you're awake, I have to get the hell out of here."

John turns to leave.

"Wait!" The scientist is trying to sit up. He looks a little queasy and John takes a step back. The last thing he needs right now is to get hurled on. "Wait. Do I know you?"

"We met this morning." John wonders if the guy hit his head on something in the fighter.

"No. I mean before that. Because I could swear I've met you before. Maybe at a convention somewhere?"

"I don't really hang out at ner – uh, scientific – conventions. Look, I really have to-"

"Colonel!" Lt. Ford says as he walks into the infirmary. "I was wondering who they dragged in to fly this morning."

"Ford," John responds. "You stuck with babysitting duties today?"

"Hey! I know you too!" comes from the bed. "And could you call it something other than babysitting?"

"Sorry." John's back is to the bed, so he rolls his eyes dramatically. Ford grins. "Lt. Aiden Ford, I'd like to introduce you to Dr. Rodney McKay. You will be escorting him today. But don't worry. Apparently, an artifact of passing out in an F-15 is thinking you know everyone, so you shouldn't have to introduce him to too many people."

"Ha. Ha," says McKay sarcastically before turning to Ford. "You've never met me either?"

"No sir," answers Ford, but there's a quick flash of uncertainty in his eyes as he says it.

"I swear you guys look really familiar," says McKay.

"Colonel Sheppard could be right. You may be experiencing déjà vu after losing consciousness."

"Look kids," interrupts Sheppard before the scientist can start in on his own theories. He's met enough other scientists to know they always have theories. "As much as I'd like to stick around and discuss the aftereffects of unconsciousness, I have to go pick up my wife before she decides she doesn't want to be my wife anymore."

John jogs out of the infirmary and Ford turns to Dr. McKay.

"Are you ready to go, Dr. McKay?"

"Uh...sure." McKay doesn't move, but stays on the bed with a perplexed look on his face. "He's married?"

"Yeah. Yesterday was their five year anniversary, which is why she's probably not too happy with him being here today."

McKay swings his legs over the side of the bed, then freezes. A look of sudden understanding and fear crosses his features. The scientist looks like he's going to be sick.

"Dr. McKay? Should I get a doctor or, uh, a basin or something?"

"No." Rodney's face is pale when he looks up at Ford. "Tell me, lieutenant. Is his wife's name Elizabeth?"

_TBC..._


	7. Word Association

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 7**

"Michael, please don't talk with your mouth full. Eh! Chew first, then swallow. That goes for you too, Marcus."

John and Marc can't help laughing as the boys each try to chew through a huge mouthful of food. They've been eager to tell their parents about their day spent sledding with their uncle, but are hindered by the amount of food they're trying to stuff into their mouths.

"Don't encourage them," says Elizabeth to her brother before turning to John. "And you're in enough trouble already."

Her husband sobers immediately, but Marc continues to laugh.

"Come on Lizzie, you know-"

There's a knock at the door. Elizabeth and John look at each other, silently debating who is going to get the door. They don't notice the concerned look that passes over Marc's face. John pushes his chair away from the table and stands.

"I'll get it. You guys keep eating."

John is more than a little surprised to find Ford, Teyla, and Dr. McKay on the other side of the door.

"I know we said you could come for dinner any time, but we were thinking you'd call first."

"We need to talk to you," says Ford without cracking a smile.

"To both of you," adds Teyla.

"Uh, we're kind of in the middle of dinner," responds John.

McKay looks past him into the dining room and sees the twins sitting at the table. He turns to John incredulously.

"You have kids?"

"Yeah. Michael and Marcus, they're four." Johns says automatically. "What's going on?"

"We must talk to you and Elizabeth. It is important."

Something in Teyla's voice gets through to John. He looks over his shoulder and calls to his wife.

"Hey Legs. You mind coming over here for a sec?"

Elizabeth frowns, but gets up to stand next to John in the entryway. She looks up at him quizzically.

"They say it's important," John explains.

"Maybe it's better if we talk outside," says Ford. He's noticed that the twins and Marc are quietly watching them from the dining room.

Elizabeth looks hesitant, but John grabs their coats off the stand and shrugs.

"I'm just curious as to why they're here."

Elizabeth puts on her coat and the group goes out to the front yard.

"So we're outside," says John. "You guys care to explain yourselves?"

"We're not sure if we can," answers Ford.

"So we're all standing out in the cold for something you can't explain?" asks Elizabeth.

She shivers and John moves to stand directly behind her. He wraps both arms around her in an attempt to keep them both warm.

"It's not that we can't, we just don't know how," responds McKay.

"And you are?" requests Elizabeth. John motions between her and McKay.

"Elizabeth, this is Dr. Rodney McKay. Dr. McKay, this is my wife, Dr. Elizabeth Sheppard."

"Nice to meet you," says Elizabeth.

"Thanks, but we've already met," replies McKay and Elizabeth's brow furrows in thought. "Not here. Not that you'd remember."

Elizabeth raises one eyebrow and John rolls his eyes. This is really not helping him dig his way off the couch tonight.

"Okay. You guys are going to need to start making sense," demands John. "If not, we're going back into the house."

Ford and Teyla look at McKay who squeezes his forehead in frustration.

"Alright. Humor me. Tell me if any of these words ring a bell. Stargate, Wormhole, Ancients, Puddle Jumpers, Chevrons, uh..."

"Atlantis," says Elizabeth softly.

John squeezes her a little and says, just as softly, "Wraith."

"I had hoped you could be happy enough here not to remember your old lives."

Startled, they all spin around to find Marc standing in the yard behind them. None of them had heard the front door open or close.

They are suddenly bombarded with a jumble of memories. The Stargate in Cheyenne Mountain. Atlantis rising from the water. A puddle jumper going through the gate. Lastly, walking through the Teyne Stargate, headed for Atlantis.

They watch in amazement as Marc takes a few steps toward them. With each step, he slowly takes the glowing form of an Ancient.

"As you've already figured out," the Ancient says. "This isn't the world you know."

_TBC..._


	8. Shattered Lives

**Dreams Come True, Chapter 8**

"What the hell is going on here?" asks Sheppard.

"I've returned your real memories to you, so you should understand that this world," the Ancient spreads his arms, "exists only in your minds."

"Wait," says McKay. "We've been in fake realities before. I thought that Sheppard couldn't be fooled."

"That is why this reality was created based on an alternate version of how the Major's life could have turned out."

"I don't get it," says John. "How can you create a reality based on a history that didn't actually happen?"

"Alternate realities are created all the time. Different decisions lead to different realities. There are countless possibilities."

"Isn't it a little convenient that we all still knew each other?" asks Ford.

"Not really. A scientist once found a quantum mirror that allowed us to study many different alternate realities. He found that the different realities were as much the same as they were different. As strange as it sounds, certain lives are fated to intertwine." Marc looks over at Teyla. "You were the only one whose memory I had to change from birth."

"Because in this reality, there is no Stargate," Teyla says. "There would have been no way for me to be on Earth."

The Ancient nods and looks at Ford and McKay. "Your realities were relatively easy to change by removing the existence of the Stargate. John and Lizzie were a little different."

Major Sheppard still has his arms around Dr. Weir. The different memories of this reality and the one they lived are warring in their minds. But the comfort they find in each other is valid in both.

"Afghanistan?" asks John. "This would have been my life if I hadn't acquired a helicopter outside standard channels?"

"It was based more on your CO," answers Marc with a smile. "If he had decided to save those servicemen instead of his own career, this life could have happened. Lizzie actually was at the Academy when you got back from Afghanistan. I took that chance meeting and advanced it a few years."

"But none of that happened," states Sheppard.

"Correct."

"And none of this is real," says McKay.

"Yes."

There's a startled gasp from Elizabeth, who has remained silent through the exchange. Her hands flutter to her abdomen as her eyes fly toward the front of the house. John's thoughts follow hers and he's forced to ask the question she can't.

"The boys?"

"I'm sorry," says Marc. "But they will cease to exist if you choose to leave this reality."

Elizabeth turns in John's arms with a strangled sob and buries her face in his chest. While she knows that none of it is real, she still has all the memories of this world in her mind. The loss of her children hits her like a physical blow.

John rests his chin against the top of her head and strokes her cheek with a shaky hand. He kisses her tenderly on the temple before looking up at Marc.

"What kind of sick game are you playing?" he asks with anger in his voice and pain in his eyes.

The Ancient does look visibly shaken by Elizabeth's tears. "I didn't mean any harm."

"Then why are we here?" ask Ford. Anger also puts an edge to his voice. He still has memories of playing with the Sheppard boys over the years.

"Not all of us agreed with the decision to leave the people of this galaxy to the whims of the Wraith," Marc explains. "But there was little I could do on my own except provide a few with the chance to live a life without the threat of the Wraith."

"So you kidnap people out of wormholes and make them live in a dream world?" asks McKay.

The Ancient bows his head. "Yes."

"What of the families and friends they leave behind? Do you not see that you have also caused great pain?" asks Teyla with vehemence. Her real memories contain stories of Athosians leaving through the Stargate, never to return. They had all been assumed killed by the Wraith, but now she was no longer sure.

"I only intended to save them from the Wraith."

"No matter what your intentions, this has to stop," Elizabeth says, pulling away from John's chest to face the Ancient. Tears stain her face, but her voice is steel. "You have no right to play with people's lives this way."

"Others who have discovered the truth have chosen to stay."

"Well we don't," says McKay. Ford and Teyla nod, but Marc is watching John and Elizabeth. They are both looking towards the house.

"I," starts Elizabeth, then looks up at John and corrects herself. "We would like to say goodbye."

"Of course," says the Ancient, disappointed.

John and Elizabeth walk slowly toward the house and enter. The boys are sitting in the living room playing with some toy cars. Michael looks up when his parents walk into the room.

"Can we tell you about sledding now?" he asks.

"Not right now, Michael," says Elizabeth as she kneels on the floor between the boys.

Marcus looks up and notices the dry tears on his mother's face. He goes over and puts his arms around her neck.

"Why are you crying Mommy?" he asks, causing fresh tears to course down Elizabeth's cheeks as she grips him tightly.

Michael comes over to also wrap his arms around her.

"Don't cry Mommy. We promise we haven't done anything wrong," Michael says, patting her back gently.

Marcus looks up at his brother.

"Um, today," he adds.

Elizabeth smiles and pulls back to look at the two boys. She glances up as John kneels beside them.

"Mommy's sad because we have to go away," John says, his voice tight with unshed tears. The boys have never seen him cry and he thinks that seeing it now would frighten them. "Uncle Marc is going to take care of you. And...and we want you to know that we love you both very much."

Elizabeth pull the boys tight against her as she lets out another sob. John wraps his arms around her and the twins, no longer able to stop his own tears. He focuses on memorizing every aspect of this moment – the last time he held his family.

_TBC..._


	9. Epilogue

**Dreams Come True, Epilogue**

Awake, Elizabeth opens her eyes as the artificial lights come on at the pre-programmed time. She knows this morning is no different from any other and fights back tears. She turns and faces the center of the empty bed, clutching a pillow against her chest. The twisted sheets are a testament to yet another sleepless night.

They returned to Atlantis two days ago, stepping through the Stargate four days after leaving Teyne. All of them remember the conversation with the Ancient. But Ford, McKay, and Teyla remember nothing of their false reality. Elizabeth wishes she were that lucky. While she doesn't remember much, the memories of Michael and Marcus are crystal clear and immensely painful. She hasn't told anyone of these remaining memories, not even Major Sheppard. Elizabeth has avoided him since the end of the briefing. His features remind her too much of the boys she lost.

The door to her quarters opens suddenly and Elizabeth sits up to find John standing in her doorway. He's freshly showered and shaved, but the dark circles under his eyes speak of his own sleepless nights.

"I don't know about you," he says. "but I need to get out of here for a while. If you want to come, I'll be waiting in the jumper bay."

With that, John turns and walks away. The door closes behind him and she makes her decision in an instant. It takes Elizabeth ten minutes to jump in the shower and meet him in the jumper bay. Twenty minutes after that, they're sitting underneath an oak-like tree, facing a beautiful white sand beach.

"You still remember them, don't you?" John asks.

"Yes," Elizabeth responds sadly.

"Do you wish you didn't?"

"Sometimes. But anytime I manage to fall asleep, I wake up afraid that I won't remember anymore."

"Yeah..."

Silence looms over them for a while as both are lost in their own thoughts.

"So...you've been avoiding me," says John. It's a statement not a question.

"Yes." Elizabeth can't really deny it. They have a tendency to spend a lot of time together on Atlantis and not being in the same room for two days is a little obvious.

"It's because they looked like me, huh?"

She turns to look at John for the first time in two days. He reaches over to touch her cheek with his fingertips.

"They had your eyes and your smile," John says.

"They had your hair and your nose," Elizabeth touches the tip of his nose with her finger, "and your uncanny ability to get into trouble."

She leans over and places her head on his shoulder. His arm wraps around her.

"It doesn't hurt so much to think about them now," she says with a little amazement.

"Maybe it's because we're thinking about them together."

Another long silence as they are once again lost in their own memories of the boys.

"It sure is one hell of a reason to keep fighting though," John says, looking out over the water at Atlantis.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asks.

"Remember what Marc said? Some lives are fated to intertwine. Maybe we'll meet the twins again some day."

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you Major?" Elizabeth asks with a smile. She pulls back a little to look at him. John turns toward her and she's surprised at the intensity in his eyes.

"I've been thinking a lot these past two days. I wanted to make sure that what I felt was real here and not just remnants of that reality. But I don't remember much of anything except the boys. So I know this is how I feel, here, today. Actually, for quite some time. And I don't want to freak-"

He is interrupted mid-sentence by Elizabeth leaning forward to kiss him.

"You really talk way too much in these situations," she says with a grin.

John reaches up and brushes his knuckles against her cheek.

"I love you, Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

Elizabeth lays a hand lightly on his chest.

"And I love you, Major John Sheppard."

They kiss, savoring a love that is still new in this reality. John leans back against the tree and gathers Elizabeth close. She lays her cheek against his heart.

"Definitely something worth fighting for," he says with a slight yawn.

Soon, they are both asleep, lulled by the warm sea breeze and each other's arms. They do not stir when two glowing forms appear on the beach in front of them. The Ancients' faces are ones they know.

"They still have many obstacles to overcome, brother," says one Ancient.

"I know, but their bond is strong. You have seen the lives that trail behind them."

"Yes. Many small and large events have conspired to keep them apart."

"And yet here they are."

"Their destiny is a more solid road now."

"Yes."

"I did not agree that you should interfere."

"And now?"

"Their bond is strong."

"Their bond is strong."

The two forms fade and disappear, leaving John and Elizabeth sleeping peacefully under a tree.

_The End._

_Thanks for everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. Sorry if it took a while to wrap up. _


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